Brookings’ newest doughnut shop is a family affair, and it all started at Pike Place Market.
Back in 2010, Teresa McDermott, her husband, Steve, and their children were living near Seattle and had been exploring Pike Place when they spotted a stand selling mini doughnuts.
After watching the stand’s machine operate, the McDermotts were hooked. They knew they needed their own doughnut machine.
“We figured, ‘They’re just throwing them in bags, why couldn’t we top them like regular doughnuts?’” said Teresa.
The family had their own trailer built in Canada, purchased a machine, and began developing recipes.
“We would set it up in our garage and have the neighbors come over to try our creations,” she said. “Our neighbors loved us.”
After perfecting their dough and toppings, the McDermotts opened the trailer up for business as Micro Doughnuts. They started frequenting farmers’ markets, and the business took off.
Not long after, the family moved to Alamogordo, N.M. for Steve’s job. While there, they sold their doughnuts to airmen and their families at Holloman Air Force Base, as well as the food truck rallies in Las Cruces.
“We would have lines of 50 to 100 people waiting two hours for doughnuts,” said Teresa. “It was phenomenal.”
Two years ago, however, Steve’s job brought the family to Brookings.
“We were just sitting on the doughnut trailer,” she said. “We knew we needed to do something—either sell it or open a shop.”
So this past May, Micro Doughnuts opened the doors of its first brick-and-mortar location on 6th Street in Brookings.
Open from 6 a.m until 2 p.m. every day except Sunday, the shop cranks out hot mini doughnuts until closing time.
“We never run out because we make them fresh, as you order,” said Teresa.
Customers seeking more traditional mini doughnuts can purchase a bag of 12 tossed with either Powdered Sugar, Cinnamon Sugar, or a mixture of the two, dubbed Dirty Snow.
But if you’re looking for the true Micro Doughnuts experience, it’s best to pick an assortment of the McDermotts’ signature toppings. While customers can order just a single doughnut, it’s more fun (and filling) to create a box of 12—they’re miniature, after all.
“we have an array of customers – a lot of businesspeople going to work, college kids, we’re grabbing the hearts of the football players, and we get a lot of kids on the weekends.”
With 18 topping options, as well as unique seasonal creations, the possibilities are nearly endless. One of the top sellers is Maple Bacon, which is maple frosting with a bacon topping, says Teresa.
“It’s completely addicting,” she said.
Micro Doughnuts prides itself on the quality of the ingredients, as well as the family involvement. The McDermotts have six children, ranging in age from 16 to 35.
“It’s a complete family business, even though we’re not all living here,” said Teresa. “Everyone gives input. The kids will call and suggest new flavors, and I figure out how to make them. We strive for the best quality we can find, so people really do taste the difference.”
One topping combination is a nod to the McDermotts’ time in New Mexico—a red chile chocolate with pistachios from an Alamogordo farm. Another popular combination is Peanut Butter and Jelly featuring Marionberry Jam, a blackberry spread local to Oregon.
Regular menu items include Plain Glaze, Maple, Chocolate, and Cream Cheese Frosting, with toppings such as peanuts, real fruit spreads, chocolate hazelnut spread, and cotton candy.
MICRO DOUGHNUTS’ SECRET MENU
Though the shop already has a lineup of 18 delicious toppings, the staff are willing to go off menu for adventurous customer.
“If it’s possible, we’ll do it,” said Teresa.
Listed below are a few insider tips for off-menu ordering:
> Sprinkles are new – add them to any doughnut or combine them with another topping.
> Each of the real fruit toppings pair perfectly with cream cheese frosting.
> Pair bacon with peanut butter or chocolate (or both).
Micro Doughnuts also creates special recipes for the seasons and holidays, including a S’Mores doughnut for summer which featured marshmallow cream and graham cracker crumbs, Peppermint Chunk topping at Christmas time, and most recently, Caramel Applesauce topping and Pumpkin Spice dough for autumn.
In addition to doughnuts, customers can order Kool Beans coffee, Jones Soda, milk, apple juice, and orange juice.
For now, Teresa says she’s focused on running the storefront, but she does have other ideas up her sleeve.
“I’ve been playing around with doughnut cakes,” she said. “I make a French buttercream that we layer between six-inch rounds of doughnuts. I’ve made chocolate, strawberry, and maple bacon, and they’ve all been phenomenal.”
The McDermotts have also been approached about weddings and other events, but they would need to purchase a second machine in order to get the trailer back in operation. At this point, however, they aren’t ruling anything out.
In the meantime, Teresa is busy sharing her flavor combinations with the Brookings community. When asked to pick a favorite, she hesitated.
“When it comes to the doughnuts, they’re all such a part of me that each one has a special memory and place in my heart,” she said. “But chocolate with peanuts goes way back, so that’s probably my favorite.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT MICRODOUGHNUTS.COM.
